SPARK Summer Program

Program Information

A four-week program will be offered for elementary students (rising pre-K through 5th) and middle school students (rising 6th through 8th grade) from July 5 through July 28, Monday through Thursday.

The elementary school program will be held in-person at various school locations. The middle school program will be held in-person at Gildersleeve Middle School.  Parents will be notified in writing of their child’s assigned school for the summer program. 

Elementary and middle school students will receive invitations to attend SPARK based on assessment information such as reading diagnostic data and other criteria. Schools will begin inviting students to attend in mid-May.

Program Information

CyberSTEAM Camp:

Student hours: 7:30 AM-12:00 PM

• Open to all NNPS 3rd-8th grade students

  • 3rd Grade- Experience unplugged and plugged coding with Ozobots
  • 4th Grade- Explore Space using Lego We Dos
  • 5th Grade- Code Edison Robots to respond to light
  • 6th Grade- Solve a Design Challenge using Ozobots
  • 7th Grade- Build, code, and operate a Lego EV3 robot
  • 8th Grade- Design, build, and program with Hummingbird Arduino Kits

• Priority admission consideration will be given to Newport News students who are military-connected and students who attend one of the following CyberSTEAM schools: B.C. Charles, Kiln Creek, General Stanford, Knollwood Meadows, Ella Fitzgerald, and Passage

• If student registration for the CyberSTEAM camp exceeds the number of seats available a lottery process will be used to select participants.

• The CyberSTEAM program is funded by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) grant and Newport News Public Schools. 

EAGER STEM & Astro Camp:

Student hours: 10:30 AM-3:00 PM

• EAGER STEM Camp in partnership with the College of William and Mary

  • (Elevate Engineering, Advance Innovation, Guide Learning, Effect Change, and Remove Barriers for ALL)
  • NNPS Students will work alongside undergraduate engineering students to apply the design process to solve a career-based design challenge.
  • Students will take a one-day field trip to The College of William and Mary to experience a college campus 
  • If student registration for the EAGER camp exceeds the number of seats available a lottery process will be used to select participants.

• Astro Camp in partnership with NASA

  • Finding our Place in Space with NASA Science!
  • Students will explore NASA’s current and future science missions through hands-on learning experiences.
  • NASA Subject Matter Experts (SME) to join classe.
  • If student registration for the Astro Camp exceeds the number of seats available a lottery process will be used to select participants.

Program Information

High school students (rising 8th-12th grades) may take courses for credit advancement and credit recovery at Woodside High School. Two sessions will be offered: June 27-July 12 and July 13-July 28.  Only select courses are offered for first time credit and are listed in the credit advancement section. Outdoor Ed classes will be held at Woodside High and Newport News Park. Transportation will be provided. There is an additional $30 fee for Outdoor Education classes. Please contact your school counselor for more information.

Student Registration

Secondary students will have the opportunity to retake courses (credit recovery), or to take a new course (credit advancement), during the summer SPARK program. Families should contact their child's school counselor to complete the registration form, and to ensure that they are registering for the correct course.

The high school program consists of two sessions; Session I (en español) June 27-July 12, only first semester courses are offered during this time; Session II (en español) July 13-July 28, only second semester courses are offered during this time. There is a $50 fee to register for each recovery or advancement course. Refund requests are available through the second day of class. Receipt of payment is required. Refunds will not be granted for failure to attend or failure to participate.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT REGISTRATION PROCESS:

• Registration is completed at your home school
• School counselor must sign off on course selection
• Payment submitted to bookkeeper at home school
• Student will be enrolled by the school’s registrar once payment is collected
• Check/money order made payable to home school

All summer classes will be taught in-person Monday – Thursday, and taught virtually on Fridays.  Attendance is mandatory. More than one absence prevents the student from earning credit for the course. Three (3) tardies constitute one absence.

Classes will only be offered if there is significant enrollment.

Personal Finance is a full-year class that extends throughout both sessions of summer school. This course cannot be broken into two parts. Participation in Personal Finance is required from June 27-July 28 for credit advancement and credit recovery.

For students desiring a virtual option, please refer to Virtual Virginia for enrollment options at virtualvirginia.org. The deadline to register for VVA classes is June 1 for Cohort 1 and June 15 for Cohort 2. Families are responsible for all costs.